While history usually isn't kind to teams that try to buy their way to contention in one offseason (think the 2010 Red Sox and 2011 Angels, to name 2 . . . not to mention the Albert Belle Orioles or too many Mets teams to count), the Jays are hoping that they're an exception along the lines of the 2009 Yankees, who rode Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and even A.J. Burnett to 103 wins a World Series title.

The Jays are clearly going for broke this year, thanks to their megadeal with the Marlins that netted shortstop Jose Reyes, starters Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson, and jack-of-all-trades Emilio Bonifacio. They later added NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, whose knuckleball should benefit from playing so many games indoors, between Toronto and Tampa.

If the Jays have a hole, it's at the back of their bullpen, which makes it so surprising that they've yet to target one of the best players on the market -- Rafael Soriano.

Because the Yankees made Soriano a qualifying offer of roughly $13.3 million, any team that signs him would be required to surrender draft pick compensation. This has become an issue across baseball this winter, with only three such players (Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher, B.J. Upton) signing deals with new teams. Players like Soriano (and until last week, Adam LaRoche) have languished with nary an offer all winter.

But if there's a team to throw caution to the wind on a draft pick, it's the Jays. GM Alex Anthopoulos probably won't survive to develop any draftees from the class of 2013 if the Jays fall on their faces. The one issue they could still address is closer, particularly after Sergio Santos was such a colossal disappointment during an injury-marred 2012, and Francisco Cordero failing to take the reins as well.

Soriano, however, would solve that problem and return Casey Janssen to a setup role, strengthening the bullpen in the process.

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